Acer Chromebook Spin 513 Review: ARM-powered mobile productivity

[@JonasBuack]

Got my Spin 513 with the Mediatek Kompanio 1380 yesterday. So far, I'm impressed with the performance and ability to hook it up to my 43" 4K curved widescreen. No slowdown or stuttering so far. Can't believe this is an arm-based Chromebook.

[@jtsmallable]

Performance and battery life remain stellar? Anything that could be improved? Thanks.

[@cobaltblue5523]

How is it so far I want to try it I had the Acer spin 713 and the Acer spin 714

[@sanjaylord]

Seeing how far ARM has come gets me excited for a Tensor powered Pixelbook in the future.

[@anetizen6404]

They'd treat their new tablet with Tensor G20 as an accessory to their speaker system rather than like a Pixel Slate lmao...

[@gilgammesh1]

Never had a chromebook before and just bought this one, this review made me even more excited, cant wait til its delivered :D

[@introvertedbutterfly]

How is it holding up so far?

[@mharing]

I’ve been holding out for the arrival of the new fleet of ‘22 chromebooks, but finally caved and replaced my Acer R11 with this 513 Spin. I thought I would hold out for a device with an hdmi port, but with a usb>hdmi adapter and hub in my kit, I haven’t felt impeded at all. The price point is good, I do wish the speakers performance was better though. Solid wifi, great screen (although once I did notice a screen flicker that had me concerned. Only happened once though), light and highly portable. I’m pretty happy with the purchase. Good work Acer!

[@malcontent_1]

Mediatek is making things interesting in the ChromeOS hardware space, and I appreciate the pressure that puts on the competition.

[@Maxible]

I just recently picked up one of these refurbished from Acer's eBay store and I absolutely love it!!! It's my new favorite. I hope they make another with a newer gen high end Kompanio when it becomes available.

[@jiamiekori6575]

Amazing review! Been waiting for it for awhile to make a decision. I love ARM CPUs finally coming to Chromebooks. They are powerful, fanless and offer amazing battery life, big fan! Thank you!

[@keacoq]

I think these reviews should include a model number for the machine tested. Otherwise nighty hard to be sure you have found the same product. I have recently bought an Acer C851T or Chromebook 512. 3: 2 touch screen but 1366x912. Pentium N5030 8GB 64GB Good to 2027. Was inexpensive on promotion. Serves me well for daily use.

[@daysjours]

How much was it?

[@JoshuaBrown-ud5ui]

I've been using the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 for a few weeks now and I'm really impressed with the performance for this mediatek device. The battery life is excellent, and the build quality is solid. I would definitely recommend this Chromebook to anyone looking for a powerful and affordable option.

[@Bratzzixx]

Is it lagging or is it still going fast ?

[@paulfarrell9259]

Be warned, my Acer Chromebook CP713-2W spin screen failed to 50% visibility just outside of warranty, and Acer refused to accept any liability, and I have seen similar faults reported, think Lemon 🍋

[@ahdz2528]

I here you that's why I had to return the CP-713 3W and go with Lenovo Thinkpad C-13 yoga Chromebook Enterprise : processor AMD Ryzen c3500 , 8gb memory 128gb ssd , found it on Amazon for $266.00 nice price indeed ,it came fully loaded except the fingerprint scanner, it has the pen included, this device is a beast military grade protection, for my needs wow thanks Lenovo

[@dave_w8476]

Similar problem here. The display failed after 15 months. Acer wanted over £300 to repair it. Fortunately I bought it from Amazon who honoured their own 2 year warranty, decided that they wouldn't pay for the repair and refunded me £500. Well done Amazon and shame on Acer.

[@KVY737]

Ordered the 513 as a replacement for my Chromebook Pixel LS and Dell Chromebook 13 which no longer receive Chrome OS updates. Selling points were the 3:2 high nit screen, fanless ARM-powered design, decent battery life and reasonable performance. Considered the M2 MacBook Air but price-wise this will get the job done for a lot less and be less of a theft magnet than the Air when travelling and also offers the security of Chrome OS on the road.

[@digitalmesh]

Less of a theft magnet haha! will consider that reasoning for my future purchases

[@KVY737]

I cringe every time I have to go through an airport metal scanner while my laptop is drifting unattended through an x-ray machine or is sitting alone in a hotel room.

[@digitalmesh]

@@KVY737 yeah that I can relate absolutely 😄

[@Xorgot]

What's your battery life like?

[@Andesu]

Me too. I recently sold my Dell Chromebook 13 and am thinking of getting the Spin 513 this fall

[@AndroidDigest]

Great review overall! And I appreciate the new arm processor and the strides made on arm, but we can't forget the retail price. When this device goes on sale like most Chromebooks, it will be a great value, but you can find 10th and 11th gen i3 and i5 processors with similar battery life and specs, most of those devices have been on sale already for $500 or less. Hard for me to say $600+ is a good deal on this device when the keyboard is meh and when there are certain corners cut compared to more premium Chromebooks. It sounds like this device is a terrific option when it goes on sale, and honestly, like most Chromebooks it will go on sale. But if you don't see it on sale, there may be better values for the money out there. So I like it, but like most Chromebooks it retails too high and we can wait for sales

[@editname8536]

what is a affordable chromebook on sale that is great in your thoughts?

[@Max_Immersion]

This Chromebook has one of the best screens of any Chromebook, even if you look at models toward the $1000 mark. It also contains one of the most powerful fanless processors offered on a Chromebook, which is a big deal for many people. I find the price of $599 to be great!

[@realsupercopter]

Now we really need Steam to work on ARM devices. That would be a game changer.

[@ZackMorris1]

Props on the video editing where Robbie was talking on the KZbin video on the 513 while it was being shown. Really slick! I just wish this thing had a hdmi port, I hate carrying extra dongles. I'm still super happy with my 2020 713 i5 sans the speakers, but the deals for this are starting to hit slickdeals, so this might be a great lil holiday present this year!

[@Stryford1]

Thanks for the great review and thanks for showing if it passes the one finger lift of the screen!

[@de-kat]

2 years ago I jumped completely from Windows to Chrombook, and since then I'm coding with Linux applications on a HP360 Chrombook Ryzen 3000C with 8gb Ram, which works quite well but with more complex applications and especially with parallel tests I quickly reach the limits of the hardware. I've become a Chrome OS fan, the workflow is just so much more pleasant but what I'm missing is higher performance and even brighter displays. What I need is at least an i7 and 16 gb of RAM. More and more people will notice how comfortable it is to work on a Chrombook, so maybe the manufacturers should start thinking about 32gb Ram Chrombooks with fast graphics. I would use Chrome OS Flex but the Linux implementation there is not usable, it''s having non-stop problems with drivers.

[@ahmadubaidillah6734]

What different between using true chrome OS with Chrome Flex? Are you working as programmer? Chrome OS is enough for you? I am just curious because I really want to buy chromebook but yeah I still doesn't know it will suitable for coding or not? Btw I am working as QA, and will use some automation framework like Cypress and using Lampp/wampp/xampp to work. Thanks

[@ZackMorris1]

The Dragonfly is calling your name my guy!

[@de-kat]

@@ZackMorris1 No way, I used to be an HP fan because I always got decent HP from my employer, but HP is a disaster for private customers. In addition, my HP $600 Chrombook was already 2 times in the repair, first there were individual pixels that became black then the keyboard has started to get stuck and the USB-C port got a loose contact! Every time I wanted to send the Chrombook for repair I had to argue with support for ages just to get the repair done, the repair took 3 weeks and if you are out of the 1y warranty then the necessary support call costs $30 just to arrange a repair. You will never see me buy an HP product again!!!

[@nc3826]

@@de-kat I too do not want to lose the seamless Chrome OS experience.... But the lack of durability and repairability issues across many different brands (it's not just HP) of Chromebooks, is a waste of resources and money. Which is making me consider switching to a Frameworks Laptop, but I too have been waiting for Chrome Flex to be a viable OS option. good luck

[@TodLeamon]

I picked up the new 714 absolutely love it!

[@hareem.sattar]

can you please tell if the fans are a problem.

[@PLANETWATERMELON]

@@hareem.sattar I guess from the no response that they are as with the speaker crackling.

[@GarySimmons]

Ok, you convinced me... order placed :)

[@GarySimmons]

Got it this week. Wow, love it! Screen is great, fast, battery life is really good. Thanks for the review!

[@jtsmallable]

@@GarySimmons What's your user experience now? Has the 1380 continued to perform well with great battery life?

[@michael_c2]

Gets a little confusing shopping for these devices. So many different variants and annual releases with the same, or very similar, model names.

[@monolith385]

i was waiting for this.

[@Jay-sg2ww]

Have the original 713, 2w model. Next chromebook must have the 3:2 screen qhd after using this. Would consider this if they just had better upward facing speakers. After listening to the 713 speakers for 2 plus years my next chromebook will have to have better than average speakers.

[@ahdz2528]

If you have the 713 2w model that is the second gen not the original 713-1w all the 713 models have too many issues with the fans noise to the very low quality rediculous downward firing speakers no I don't recommend any of the Acer spin 713 models to no one steer clear of this Chromebook

[@Jay-sg2ww]

@@ahdz2528 you got me, I have the 2nd gen. Fan not to bad, only became an issue when the 713 switch to Android 11. Now the fan kicks on if I have a couple of play store apps open. Before that zero issues. 10 gen i5 is super quick, display is great, paid like $475. Very happy with it for the last 2.5 years. Speakers are awful. When you go in tablet mode it doesn't really stay together, poor magnet placement, but don't use tablet mode really. I've had 5 chromebooks and this is the best one by far. If it was 2 years in the past I'd buy this one all over again for that price. I'd probably consider the 513 if they had upward facing speakers that were decent.

[@ComixsYT]

7:14 - how did you manage this? Struggling real hard here it seems to only duplicate the external displays not extend

[@IssaNawaz5996]

Like Acer Chromebook

[@mike20pr]

Finally a ARM powerhouse (of sorts) for ChromeOS which feels natural. Wish this came in a 15 or 17 variant as my bad eyes don't really enjoy 13 screens

[@koken2372]

Where did you get it? I can't seem to find a way to buy it anywhere, I all see is the qualcomm version everywhere

[@jeffkeryk3550]

Did you mention sound quality? After owning the Pixelbook, I have come tp appreciate better sound, so much so tha I have been disappointed with other Chromebooks that are otherwise stellar. Thanks!

[@blueciffer1653]

he did. They weren't very good

[@sammyblade514]

This is my problem too. I've got a PBG and I cannot imagine going back to a Chromebook with tiny, bottom-firing speakers anymore.

[@oliversmith7354]

Can edit, download, and convert Microsoft Office files in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides which are very satisfying. This Chromebook is using a reliable kompanio SoC

[@DavidNg12345]

eMMC in 2022 is crazy. It makes everything slow when using Crostini

[@NaturalHalfling]

I'm pretty sure this is the snapdragon model, I'm not aware of Linux apps and crostini working on ARM based chromebooks. But yeah, even so it should all be SSD plus expandable storage. It's a must.

[@PhilWood82]

While describing the Mediatek processor in the B-roll for the Acer 513, I noticed the KZbin video stutter or stop as Robby went through different virtual desks. I don't think that's normal? Also, I like the new QHD monitor; it's quite compact :)

[@andyH_England]

ARM on Windows and Chromebooks have performance issues from my experience, videos stutter and the sound and video become disjointed. Compared to Apple Silicon they are seemingly years behind. With my Windows on ARM I have to put the chip in max performance mode to stop the issues and I am not sure Chromebooks have this option. I certainly would not recommend anyone moving to ARM on Windows or ChromeOS yet. Late 2023 when the newer architecture arrives will be a better time.

[@PhilWood82]

@@andyH_England I was looking for this comment thread and I have an update. The video stutter I mentioned also happened to me recently. The audio continues, but the video pauses or is black during playback. In hindsight, I'm not bothered by it, because I don't watch half a video when it's playing in-between desks. You're right, Chrome OS isn't in the same stratosphere as Apple Silicon, but I don't need it to be. What I need from a Chromebook and Chrome OS when I use them is enough, and that might be why them. 🙂

[@hpham72]

So this at $599 or the HP x360 13c for $649 also at Best Buy? Seems like the differences I can see are better screen, battery life and a little bit lighter for the Acer versus a better keyboard and speakers for the HP? It's a good problem to have I suppose...

[@PLANETWATERMELON]

Screen vs speakers. Acer if HP is $649…..that’s way too high for the HP. Goes on sale for as low as $399. Then at that price the HP. Probably more reliable and better speakers that don’t crackle & pop.

[@johnbarnett6924]

Again thanks for a great posting ❤I am persuaded to use ACER BRAND DEVICES. ❤REVISTED MAY 01 2024❤

[@cliffsalisbury7714]

Always enjoy your reviews. I am thinking of buying a new desktop to replace my older desktop. One of the things I did not consider a Chrome book is that I love my two larger monitor. I notice in this video that you have a large screen hooked to your Chrome book. I think if I could do that I would not need a desk top and could just use the chrome book with the large monitor at home and yet take it with me on vacation. Can you tell me how you did this?

[@chideramolokwu9558]

Can you connect your chromebook to your phone

[@MazinAliofficial]

Can you please tell me what pen did you use?

[@PaceyPimp]

What happened to ARM Chromebooks?

[@HP-in8pl]

Can't find this thing anywhere

[@pamela7633]

Is this an upgrade to the 2021 713?

[@Max_Immersion]

Does anyone know if this Chromebook supports the eraser on the penoval? I would really appreciate insight on this!!

[@lmduqueramirez8133]

What would be the best option considering similar prices. Acer Spin 513 chromebook (mediatek Kompanio 1380) or Lenovo IdeaPad 5i chromebook (Pentium 8505)

[@Meridianux]

Have full Google Play store? Thank you!

[@bobsimmons1470]

Did fingerprint readers just all of a sudden disappear from 2022 Chromebooks?

[@fightnight14]

I couldn’t find this on Amazon. No Kompanio 1380 laptops in there

[@Max_Immersion]

It is now sold at Best buy!

[@bencromwell9563]

I ordered it on Amazon and a week later, my order was cancelled. I liked the CPU, display, light weight, convertible, and fanless. Any ideas what else is out there that is comparable...

[@andersostholm812]

Hi. I bought this Chromebook today and want a stylus pen to it. Witch do you recommend to buy?

[@klediouron]

Hi, HP Rechargeable USI Pen

[@jtsmallable]

@@klediouron I wanted that one too, but the negative user reviews on HP's website frightened me off. So, Penoval gets the best user reviews by far.

[@ivetealves4567]

How did you push dual monitors? What docking station did you use?

[@ComixsYT]

You ever figure this out?

[@dbrakowski]

Thanks for this...has the issue with ARM chips slowing down when on battery (versus when plugged in) been resolved? Only a $100 difference between this and the 714---going to be a tough call. Much appreciated!

[@KVY737]

Wasn't that slow down with AMD Ryzen chips not ARM chips?

[@Ignacio.Romero]

That was with AMD CPUs. And it's not a bug but by design, same thing happens on Windows laptops

[@NaturalHalfling]

Does anyone know if this can run the ChromeOS Minecraft and how well it does? Looking for a Chromebook for web browsing mostly and a few android games.

[@Ebisu13o]

How about Arm cpus support for Crostini? I plan to bought one but I still need the Linux on it.

[@NaturalHalfling]

You want an intel/x86 chromebook if you want to use Linux apps. ARM chromebooks are best if you just want fanless or want to use android apps. I've been told any emulation of x86 programs on an ARM device is going to be sluggish.

[@vlkhvan]

I had not very good experience with Acer Spin series. Both times I tried 713 in the past and they had faulty Wi-Fi cards. In general, i think if it sounds to good to be true (very good specs for the price) it is most probably not so good. They have to cut corners somewhere, right? I think the lack of quality control is Acer’s main cost saving technique

[@brucehyman]

it looks like the rear edge of the screen extends down below the chassis when it's open to about 120-135 degrees, digging into people's legs. would appreciate any user experience...

[@PLANETWATERMELON]

Very minor annoyance.

[@MokuNui808]

If possible how would you hook up a disk drive to it if yoh want to download physical CDs to the laptop?

[@user-pn6li3xk3n]

how can i make my chromebook stop thinking im on a android, IOS, and Iphone?

[@elginite00]

How well does Linux work on arm processors?

[@johncgibson4720]

just ordered mine, 199 amazon

[@gemikon]

which is the car game you play on the video?

[@jean-pierreraduocallaghan8422]

How do ARM chips fair for playing Steam games on Chromebooks though ? Are they compatible ?

[@Max_Immersion]

They are not.

[@drumworld]

Do Linux apps work with good compatibility Are there any issues while using Linux apps on this Chromebook??

[@blueciffer1653]

If you want to run linux apps you really shouldn't get an arm CB

[@EdgarVillegasG]

Can this Chromebook run Linux on a virtual partition?

[@nikysony]

Great device. But how about legacy windows based software, for example the software I have to install to declare my taxes yearly? How can I manage to do it in a ChromeOS device? Anyone can advise me on this matter?

[@sarahike6040]

Is it compatible with EMR ??

[@jtsmallable]

No. Active stylus. Recommend Penoval.

[@Apollo-vr3ug]

Does anyone know where I can get this unit from in the UK - it was supposed to be available in June/July ??

[@mulletronuk]

Argos has it

[@1MinuteFlipDoc]

i love my 713 (1st gen) but the battery is absolutely horrible (2.5 hours)

[@Zendrael]

Hi! Does this one support Linux container?

[@HubertEtAlice]

All new Chromebooks do support Android apps and the Linux container nowadays.

[@jamesthompson3099]

I note Amazon has rounded the price down to $599.99. 😁

[@nicolasfortin4216]

great review! I'm sold it'll be the laptop for my kid for high school. How come it's so hard to find in store or anywhere else besides amazon?

[@cobaltblue5523]

If it's the exact same screen as the 713 which I have I mist say it's too small for me 13.5 3by2 But the screen looks beautiful but if you are use to 16by 10or 16by 9 I don't really like it

[@KVY737]

Screen size is a personal preference and depends on what you use them for. For general use (web apps, browsing, documents, PDF's) my own preference is 3:2.

[@cobaltblue5523]

@@KVY737 that's why I said fir people who are accustomed to 16x10 or 16x9 won't like this 3x2 aspect ratio.

[@KVY737]

@@cobaltblue5523 Still have to disagree, I have both 16x10 MBP 16" and 16x9 Pixelbook Go and prefer 3:2 but can work on any of them.

[@cobaltblue5523]

@@KVY737 key word was Accustomed. And what you sharing is also just a preference.

[@Danster82]

I have no idea why they still put these huge bezels on laptops.

[@JustRegi9]

cool!

[@Zulgurub]

Very cool device

[@anthonywilliams9415]

Chrome Dino 🦕 in the building.

[@davidallen2211]

Other than the thick chin on the bottom, I agree

[@blogauthor3375]

Acer's website list WiFi5 not WiFi6. That is a deal breakers, We are spending thousands to upgrade to WiFi6e why would we not want al new devices to be WiFi6?

[@ch4.hayabusa]

This is nice... But 8GB of RAM is not enough. I keep getting SIGSEGV crashes. I should probably uninstall Google Play. Docker will probably not run well and M1 native Crostini apps will probably crash and burn.

[@andyH_England]

Yes, I have a 16GB Pixelbook Go and rarely is it not using below 11GB of RAM.

[@alex_111.]

2nd

[@andyH_England]

There is a good reason Chromebooks are bombing in sales the last year, we have seen price rises and less value aligned to chips that have no place in a $600 device. Google needs to reinvigorate the market with a Pixelbook Go 2 as ATM the market is stale and the lean towards 2-in-1 devices is just going to put people off further as we will inevitably see less clamshell versions. I have seen zeor reasons since I bought my Go to even think that the subsequent releases are worth my money. With Google now seemingly realising that the market is saturated and declining sales are inevitable, they have returned to Android tablets again as their next mainstreaming attempt. Look forward to the Pixel Tablet early 2023. For now, those looking at these premium priced Chromebooks, there are now better value Macs and Windows machines that perform far better and have better designs. The MB Air M1 at $800 when discounted would be a far better choice than this.

[@michaelgarvey2148]

I agree 100% , looking at alternatives for my pixelbook go which will stop getting updates June of 26 & i am not seeing anything close to this beautiful machine , tired of this 2 in 1 nonsense but gave the video a look to see what is out there try to be open minded . Google should have made a pixelbook go 2 & i want to stay on a chromebook but it's very slim pickings .

[@christopher480]

portability?.........duh.....its a laptop, of course its portable.....try looking up the word portable in the dictionary.

[@agaragar21]

0/10....for the huge cheap "ACER" on the bezel !